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Friday, August 17, 2012

A Weeden metamorphosis

It has become more than obvious that Browns coach Pat
Shurmur and offensive coordinator Brad Childress are determined to turn Brandon
Weeden into a pro-set quarterback.

In the Browns’ 35-10 victory over Green Bay Thursday night,
the rookie quarterback took 39 snaps in what Shurmur labeled the dress
rehearsal for the regular season. An incredible 31 of those snaps, or roughly 80%, saw Weeden under center Alex Mack.

Why is that so incredible? And what’s the big deal?

Before taking his first snap under center during OTAs this
past spring, Weeden was a shotgun quarterback. Lining up seven yards behind the
center and latching on to a sailing snap was his comfort level. That’s all he
knew.

At Oklahoma State University and at Santa Fe High School in Edmond, Okla., the ball slapping against his hands on a direct snap from the
center was foreign to him. His view of opposing defenses was anything but up
close and personal.

All that is changing now with the Browns. We are witnessing
a transformation, a reinvention, so to speak.

Weeden is used to that. The reason he became the 22nd
pick in the first round of last April’s college football draft was because he
reinvented himself as a football player after a failed pro baseball career.

And if anyone can make the switch with seamless ease, it’s
Weeden. Watching him make his three-, five- and seven-step drops against the
Packers in effortless fashion, one would guess he’s been doing it his whole
career at all levels.

It’s much easier taking a shotgun snap and surveying the
field. More time for the receivers to get open, more time for the offensive
line to pass protect, more time to be successful.

And yet, there was the force-fed Weeden making plays from
the pro set. Not once did he stumble back after taking the snap from Mack. Not
once did his feet become entangled as he set up to throw. He made no apparent
mistakes.

He threw no interceptions, even though one should have been
picked off, and was not sacked, although Packers cornerback Brandian Ross
nailed him hard in the ribs late in the first half a split second after
releasing a pass.

He completed 12 of his 20 passes (would have been 14 if not
for two drops) for 118 yards on five drives, not including the first drive when
Montario Hardesty fumbled away the ball on the first play of the game, and the
last drive with just seconds remaining in the first half.

Of the eight shotgun snaps, all were passes. That’s got to
change. Otherwise, it becomes predictable. Some run plays need to be used from
the formation.

Five shotgun passes were on third down with three
completions, none resulting in a first down. Half of the eight shotgun snaps
occurred late in the half when the Browns ran the two-minute drill.

Other than that, Weeden looked extremely comfortable. That’s
because he’s a good athlete who seems to have very good pocket awareness,
something you can’t teach.

Whether or not it was by design, he rarely threw downfield.
Stretching the field was not in this game plan. He’s got a strong arm. Use it.
Keep opposing defenses honest. That might not happen, though, with a
play-calling head coach who leans toward the conservative side.

***

Much like last
season, the Browns are relying too much on the field goal. The offense
scored just two touchdowns against the Packers. That’s not enough. If that
trend continues, we could see a replication of last season when the club
averaged just 13.6 points a game.

When Phil Dawson is your best offensive threat, you’re in
trouble, although you can’t quarrel with field goals of 53, 47 and 52 yards. His
56-yard attempt sailed wide in the closing seconds of the first half. The guy’s
not Superman.

Still, Shurmur and Childress have to be able to give the
offense a better chance to put points on the board while Dawson watches from
the sidelines. The veteran placekicker would like nothing better than to add to
his extra-point total.

***

If Colt McCoy was
trying to impress scouts from other National Football League teams in his
brief stint against the Packers, he succeeded. The kid from Texas maximized his
one-series appearance, taking seven minutes and 22 seconds off the clock with a
near-flawless 14-play, 75-yard drive in the third quarter. He was 4-of-6
passing, including strikes of 19 yards to Josh Gordon and 21 yards to Dan
Gronkowski.

That has to impress Shurmur and his staff. Question is
whether the Browns hope to use that showing as a springboard for a trade, or
will it convince them that holding on to McCoy is the road better traveled.

The way Packers backup quarterback Graham Harrell played
against the Browns, it wouldn’t be surprising if Green Bay is thinking about
knocking on the Browns’ door. Or maybe the Arizona Cardinals, who have
experienced quarterback problems.

***

It’s nice to see the
defense show up against the Packers, although their regulars played just
three series. Still, you can’t quarrel with four turnovers, one pick six and a
run defense that limited Green Bay to a paltry 69 yards. Subtract Aaron
Rodgers’ 24 yards on a couple of scrambles and the Packers compiled just 45
yards on 16 carries. And that was with veterans Ahtyba Rubin and D’Qwell Jackson
on the sidelines.

***

Other observations:The
defense was unusually active pre-snap against the Packers, giving Rodgers and
Harrell many different looks. . . . Hardesty redeemed himself nicely after the
opening-play fumble with some hard running. If he can stay healthy, and that’s
a huge if, the Browns are in good shape at running back. . . . That’s two weeks
in a row now that safety David Sims has made a spectacular interception. His
38-yard pick six early in the third quarter gave the Browns a 23-7 lead. . . .
Fellow defensive back Trevin Wade had another strong game. The rookie is not
afraid to stick his nose in there on run support. . . . Browns offensive tackle
Oneil Cousins should be ex-Browns offensive tackle Oneil Cousins after his
performance on special teams. He racked up 25 of the Browns’ 67 penalty yards,
once on a hold and the other a facemask. Both were on placements. . . . Unless
the Browns are willing to overpay his salary for his special teams contribution
as a gunner, it’s hard to see Joshua Cribbs sticking around. Based on early
returns, Cribbs is no longer a threat on punt and kickoff returns. And it’s already
a foregone conclusion by most fans that he is not a reliable wide receiver.